bangkok project studio builds brick observation tower at 'elephant world'

this brick observation tower joins a museum and a flexible events and recreation space as part of a complex dedicated to the well-being of elephants. designed by bangkok project studio, ‘elephant world’ is a government project that seeks to provide a source of stable income for the kui people, an ethnic group in surin, north-eastern thailand, and their elephants.

all images by spaceshift studio

bangkok project studio explains that, over the past 50 years, the forest of surin was destroyed for commercial purposes. the kui and their elephants, who had relied solely on the forest, suffered extreme droughts, shortages of food, and the medicinal plants that the forest once provided. many elephants were forced to work in camps, many with unsuitable living conditions. ‘elephant world’ seeks to bring the kui and their elephants back to their homeland in a safe and prosperous environment.

standing at the edge of the site and the forest, the brick observation tower appears to emerge out of the terrain. the structure, which is 28 meters (92 feet) tall, has an oval footprint that has been shaped to reduce the impact of wind, while diffusing heat from the sun. meanwhile, the arrangement of columns and beams results in an alternating pattern of openings. the clay bricks used were sourced from the site itself. a steel staircase ascends through the space, leading to unobstructed views across the site. at the top of the tower, poles of random heights create an illusion of the building disappearing into the air.

‘observation towers usually accelerate the upward movement of visitors to the top,’ explain the architects. ‘this observation tower, however, encourages visitors to take their time, feel the wind and absorb the surrounding landscape at different times of the day. looking down from the tower, they may reflect on the coexistence between elephants and humans.’ however, in addition to its function as a lookout point, the architects say that the tower could result in more trees. the team suggests that dispersing the winged seeds of the local apitong tree from the top of the structure could help populate the surrounding land with new vegetation.